Toe terminus indicator



Oct. 24, 1950 s, WEHLER 2,527,168

TOE TERMINUS INDICATOR Filed July 16, 1947 FIG.4 FIG.3 2e 23 INVENTOR.

R USSELL S. WEHLER Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES "PATENT" OFFICE Russell S. Wehler, York, Pa.

Application July 16, 1947, Serial No. 761,193

This invention relates to a gage whereby a shoe fitter or foot specialist can determine if a shoe provides sufficient length for the foot, being designed particularly to ascertain the termination of the longest toe of the foot in relation to the end of the shoe.

In the past if a shoe fitter or foot specialist wished to determine with fair accuracy just where the foot terminated within the shoe, it has been necessary to resort to the use of an X-ray machine for this finding. The X-ray machine besides being an expensive piece of apparatus, and recently the object of controversial issue as to possible injurious results from its use, also requires the customer or patient to arise from his or her seat and walk to and from the machine. The gage which forms the subject of this invention is simple, relatively inexpensive and easy to use, and positively determines the termination of the longest toe of the foot within the shoe.

The object of the invention is to provide means by which the shoe fitter or foot specialist may quickly and easily determine the position of the end of the foot in the shoe, with particular attention to the termination of the longest toe of the foot in relation to the end of the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gage which may be used on either foot, which is universal in its application to all sizes of feet and which requires no reading or scale marking in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows the application of the gage to the foot with the shoe removed.

Figure 2 shows the application to the foot with the shoe on.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the gage.

Figure 4 is a side broken elevation of the gage.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the invention is shown in use and consists of a body portion 6 having two longitudinal slots 1 and 8 which slidingly receive rods 9 and In respectively.

2 Claims. (Cl. 33174) The rods 9 and I9 are formed with cut out portions II which are flattened at I2 and engage a flanged bar I 3 which is mounted in slot I l formed in the body portion 6. A set screw I5 is threaded into a plate I6 mounted on the side of the body portion 6 and bears against the flanged bar I3 to lock the rods 9 and ID in desired position. Projections I 1 formed at the end of the cut out portion engage the flanged bar l3 and serve as stops to limit the motion of the rods 9 and I9. This prevents the entire withdrawal of the rods 9 and [8, thus preventing loss or inconvenience in having to refit the rods into the holes 7 and 8.

The body of the'gage is formed with top and bottom arcuate flanges I9 and 29 in which are mounted a series of rollers 2|.

On the free end of the rods 9 and It a plate '22 is secured. Pivoted at one end to the plate 22 is a link 23 by means of a rivet 24. The gaging arm 25 is likewise pivoted by rivet 26 to the free end of the link 23.

In using the toe terminus indicator the device is placed against the foot 27, the rollers 2| through their rolling motion accurately locate, and conform to the first metatarso-phalangeal joint hereinafter referred to as the big toe joint,

shown at 28, the set screw is loosened and the v gaging arm moved together with the link to horizontal .position and brought into contact with the end of the longest toe as at 29. Tightening the set screw holds the position of the gaging arm and the shoe 3!! is placed on the foot. The gaging arm is swung to the position as shown in Figure 2 and the rollers 2| again applied to the large joint of the big toe as at 3|. Clearly indidicated by the gaging arm is the end of the big toe with relation to the shoe as at 32 and the shoe fitter or foot specialist may determine whether or not the shoe provides suificient length for the foot.

A toe terminus indicator such as herein described would materially lessen the problems of a shoe fitter and assure a better fitted shoe and a satisfied customer. The indicator will also prove itself invaluable to foot specialists such as chiropodists, podiatrists, orthopedic specialists, etc. in determining if the patient is wearing shoes too short for the feet.

What is claimed is:

1. A toe terminus indicator comprising a body portion having a pair of spaced longitudinal openings therethrough, top and bottom arcuate shaped flanges formed at one side of said body portion, a plurality of rollers mounted in said flanges, the contacting surfaces of said rollers conforming to the curve of said flanges, a pair of rods slidably mounted in said longitudinal openings, said rods being formed with cut out flattened portions intermediate their ends, a flanged bar mounted in a slot formed in said body portion and bearing against the flattened portions of said rods, a set screw engaging said flanged bar and forcing same into locking position against the said rods, an end plate secured to the ends of said rods, a link pivotally mounted to said end plate and a gaging arm pivotally mounted to the free end of said link and adapted to be swung about said link and together with said link and about said end .plate.

2. A toe terminus indicator, comprising a body portion formed with a pair of opposed flanges, a plurality of rollers mounted in a curved plane in said flanges to engage the big toe joint, the contacting surfaces of said rollers forming a curve to conform to the curve of said big toe joint, a slide mounted for longitudinal movement in said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,059,545 Kunze Apr. 22, 1913 1,850,852 Scholl Mar. 22, 1932 0,184 Jacobs Ma 24, 1932 Bliss Oct. 22, 1935 

